Knights Upon a Time
by nonnahsshannon
Summary: The adventures about bringing together the Knights of Camelot in a form of the Enchanted forest, but with new and exciting knights as well as the old ones.
1. A Knight at the Ball

This is my first fanfic in a while and my tastes and writing style has changed; so I hope you enjoy it. This is a short one, but the rest are longer. I also post these to my other sites.

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She moved through the dense, opulent ballroom; her red hair glinting in the light. The room itself was dressed lavishly, covered almost every inch in gold. The room alive with its patron's exuberance and the atmosphere thick with revelry and the sounds of tantalizing music. Not a soul noticed anything out of the ordinary; too consumed on alcohol, spreading rumors, and the all-encompassing atmosphere. She slipped through the room unnoticed by everyone, just another body to add to their celebration. She made it to the other side of the room without too much fuss. Throughout the quieting hallways she went, getting further away from the party. It was there she was stopped by two guards.

"The King has ordered that no one shall be allowed further than this point." The guard spoke almost in monotone, yet still authoritative. His job was nothing more than to guard this door from day to day. To never speak unless to state orders or decrees.

"I still think you will want to let me through." She demurely looked at him from behind her mask, her voice suddenly taking on an ethereal quality. As if she was hypnotizing the men to allowing her passage through.

"No passage allowed!" His voice changed as if his entire demeanor was trying to disobey her.

"Then I guess we're doing this the hard way." She slipped an ornate knife from somewhere in her costume. She easily dispatched the guards, incapacitating them and moving past them into the next area. In this area she could hear the ranting of a deranged king echoing throughout the hallways. To touch something without the means to know what it is or does showed the folly of many kings.

She continued past him, quickly hoping to go unnoticed. It was relief when his ranting only stumbled before begging again and she continued on. She continued on to the room where she knew the object was hidden. She quietly opened the door and immediately felt she was in the right place. She searched the bookshelves that laid from wall to wall, not finding what she was looking for. She knew it was there, everything about her hummed with its power. Following that feeling to where it was strongest and just feeling along the shelves. Moving a few books found a secret compartment and opening it after securing her gloves. A book slid out and she quickly secured it in a pouch hidden under layers of her dress. She quickly put everything back in its place, and slipped out discretely. She moved quickly back through the ball room and exited through the cover of water.


	2. The Release of a Falcon

I hope you enjoy the second chapter of Knights upon a time.

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Through water she quickly crossed worlds and ended up in a heavily wooded area. She moved through the forest with innate grace and followed a path long forgotten by man or hidden from them. The entrance looked overgrown and covered with dangerous looking plants, but there was more to them than what was being seen. She moved past them with little fanfare and continued on her journey. The forest exuded power the closer she got to her destination. She arrived in a vast clearing with a large overgrown hawthorn tree and several monuments. The monuments each contained a sword with the exception of two. The entire place radiated magic and reverence, but nothing more so then the tree itself.

She walks towards the tree and kneels before it because the tree itself deserved it. As she sat there looking at this magnificent tree, it was as if the tree was alive and breathing in the way humans do. The entire forest seemed this way, brighter, and filled with more vibrant colors. She looked out of place; especially in her lacey, soft pink ball gown, kneeling in the grass. She pulled the pouch out from the hidden folds in her dress. Carefully taking the tome out of it, she gently placed it on one of the largest protruding roots. Then she opened the tome balancing it between the first root and the one closest to it.

Inside the book lay unrecognizable words; confusing unless you were taught the language. Luckily she was taught how to read and utilize it. She knew that the book should only be opened when there was a dire need for it. This moment right now might be their greatest need for what laid inside of it. She turned the pages quickly until she came across a page with a figure of an ornate crown. She slowly reached down, her eyes never leaving the page, and slid the glove off her right hand. Her eyes which had always been an ocean blue flickered and changed. They were now sliver with rings of bright glowing blue around the pupil and the outside of the iris.

The words began jumping off the page and turning into lace-like lines that curled around her fingers. Her fingers moved in an almost whimsical manner and as they continued to move the lines began to take shape. The lines when fully formed was a perfect image of the crown from the page, only now a tangible object. The crown was gold, jewel encrusted, and covered in glowing runes. Now that it was fully formed she picked it up and placed it on the healthiest branch.

Taking a step back, she watched the tree intently. She was waiting on baited breath for something to happen. In a split second, the tree started humming to life and she took a step forward back towards the tree. Her hand is encompassed by vines that held tight enough to draw blood and halt her progress. She breaks through them with little effort as the first drops of blood left her hand. Her hand reached towards the tree and then right through it. Another hand came out from the white void and latched onto hers. She gripped the hand tightly before tugging on it and pulling them through.

The force of the pull made both of them stumble as he appeared from within the tree. Before her stood a lanky young man with messy black hair, large ears, and blue eyes that quickly turned a molten gold color.

"Merlin," she smiles widely feeling accomplished at freeing him.

"Ariel." His answering grin was goofy. He moved around the area stretching out the limbs that were stiff from disuse. He surveyed the clearing immediately noticing the large trees with the monuments directly in front of them. He was drawn to the one that was dark grey with glowing blue cracks through out it. It looked as if it was seconds away from falling all to pieces.

"How?" He knew from the first glance that this one was hers.

"Gwaine," was her only answer.

"That explains it," he joked trying to lighten the mood, "He wasn't here was he?"

"If he was I do not remember, but not all of us were. We decided step one was to release you and figure out the rest from there." She answered almost like she would answer her superiors.

"And Arthur?" His questions was asked in a whisper almost as if he was afraid of the answer.

"We're not sure, but we're searching." She reassured him, a hand coming out to touch his arm in comfort. Of course the clotpole would be the hardest to find.

"Our best bet?"

"Rapunzel." Then they both vanished from the clearing. The clearing itself began protecting itself until the time came for them and only them to come back. A hidden grove filled with unimaginable power and secrets.


	3. The Hawk and the Tangled Bellflower

I also post these on other my other sites. I hope you enjoy the third chapter.

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The sounds of rushing water filled the vicinity. In the middle of the hidden valley stood a stone tower. The tower was bleak compared to the surrounding lush landscape, and the tower itself hid a great secret and had for many years.

_Past_:

_He ran through the forest dodging anything in his path. He ran from what seemed to be an invisible threat though she was a very real threat. He had no idea where she would come from and when. So he desperately continued on. _

_"Oh Rapunzel!" The voice rang out through the forest and is very quickly followed by chilling laughter. The voice itself was filled with mocking joy, happily feeding off his fear. He ran faster, but his hair was hindering his progress. It was heavy and kept managing to snag on almost everything, but he kept pushing forward. Absolutely desperate to get away from this voice. _

_"Rapunzel!" the voice was closer now and his heart jumped to his throat. His hair caught on another branch and no matter how much he tried, he could not liberate his hair. He tugged and he pulled and after every pull becoming even more desperate. The forest itself could feel her getting closer and tensed in her imminent arrival. _

_As the voice appeared, he had taken out a blade. "You do not want to do that dear Rapunzel." She cautioned still mocking, but he was more desperate than she realized. He would do anything to get away from her. _

_"Yes I do!" The conviction in his voice told her that there was no other alternative and with that he cut off all of his long luscious blonde hair. Part of the magic was gone and her skin began to slowly turn back into that sickly green color. _

_"No!" She grabbed a hold of him and in a cloud of green smoke they disappeared from the forest and into a tower. "For what you have done, you shall be trapped here and I will personally make sure that no one will ever find you." She cackled and then vanished again in the smoke that was the same color of her slowly changing skin._

Present: In a village about a day way from the tower sat a man at the local pub. He was rugged and gave off an aura of daring. He had long brown hair and whiskey brown eyes. He was enjoying the revelry in the pub, where everyone was in a jubilant mood and enjoying the night. He looked the part of a regular patron, but he was here for a completely different reason. He had been traveling nomadically and searching for any glimmer of news about the person he was looking for. He had been led here because of rumors of someone trapped in a tower.

"Have you heard anything about a person trapped in a tower?" He slid a coin over to the bartender discretely.

"There have been tales for many years of a woman trapped in a tower by a witch. This tower is said to be about a day away from here in the deepest part of the woods. The entrance is hidden, but most people are too afraid to even venture out towards there to know if that is the truth. Most are too afraid of what the witch might do to them if they were caught out there. She is a terror around here with people going missing, flying monkeys, and more. Beware of the dangers." The bartender warned him, but he knew that it was a lost cause. This man in front of him would not listen to reason and would charge directly into the line of fire.

"Thank you my good man" He tipped his glass at the man and disappeared within the crowd. Blending in so if anyone was working against him he would go unnoticed.

He rode through the night, the seriousness of his mission urging him on. He slowed his horse to a stop in a heavily wooded area and dismounted. The area felt just as Ariel said it would and his talisman shined brightly, so it was a big indicator that he was in the right place. He felt along the stone and when his hand hit a snag, and he pulled. There opened a crevice in the rock-face large enough to fit one person through. He carefully walked through the tunnel and it eventually began to widen. It widened out and light flooded out into a hidden valley and with sounds of rushing water. In the middle of the lush grass stood an almost picturesque tower with a beautiful waterfall flowing behind it. Ivy was healthily growing up the side of the tower. As Gwaine was walking towards the tower he could feel this darkness wash over him. It made him recoil and shiver in repulsion. The talisman glowed and allowed him to continue on towards the tower. As finally reached the tower, he was puzzled on how to reach the top. A perimeter check showed no door anywhere, no ladder to climb up to the window, so he would have to get creative.

He tugged on the ivy and noticed that thick vines where hidden in them. The ivy was a clever cover for the vines. Never one to back down from a challenge, he grabbed a vine and began to climb. Whoever grew these plants had made them to be supernaturally strong. It took him a few minutes to reach the end of the vines and unfortunately they were not long enough to reach the top. It was only just a little bit off from being a safe distance, but he knew that he had to somehow get in there. Even if the person trapped in there wasn't who he was looking for they still needed help. He took a deep breath before beginning to swing his body until he was able to vault into the window.

He landed on the edge of the window sill and everything inside seemed dark and dreary. It looked as if no one was living there, but looks can be deceiving. The place looked as it does because whoever was living here was fearful of who could be entering their home. He looked around trying to see if that person was in the room, but there was not much lighting to help him.

"Gene?" He whispered into the darkness. He heard a shuffle and the noise of someone bumping into something, but no one appeared. "Gene is that you?" He asked again louder, his curiosity beginning to get the better of him.

"Gwaine?" The familiar voice inquired softly as if they were afraid this is all a trick.

"Yes" He answered hoping they would come out.

"Tell me the first thing I ever said to you." The voice demanded giving him a test.

"Well you asked me to buy you a drink after putting up with quote my terrible flirting unquote." He sassed back.

A laugh could be heard and then the door opened. Out walked a Gene, a little more haggard than normal, but it was him all the same. "I have missed your sense of humor…and your unending flirting with anything that moves." He came closer and his green eyes shined brighter at just being around a familiar person. Especially one that will bring no harm to him.

"So…" Gwaine dragged his sentence along purposely, "You ready to get out of this place?"

"Just give me a minute." Gene disappeared into the other room and the sounds of rustling could be heard before he returned with a bag in his hands. "Before we go, she'll know that I am not here any longer."

Gwaine went into the other room and out of curiosity Gene followed. "Not with this." He stated as he brought an object out of his pocket. It seemed like an ordinary necklace, but when he put it on the pillow, it changed the pillow into a copy of him.

"How?" Gene was gob smacked at his exact copy staring back at them

"It is something Ariel cooked up just in case anyone needed it. It works by the user concentrating on what they want the object to become. In this case, you! Now let's get out of here." They exited the room and walked over to the window. Instead of climbing down the vines again, Gene brought out a rope that looped through a hook in the ceiling. They then used this to get out of the tower and far away from it. Once they were back in the forest, they noticed that Gwaine's horse was just where he left it and contently on munching on apples. They both mounted on the horse and rode further into the forest.

"I'm pretty sure that this is not that way to civilization." Gene snarked from the back of the horse.

"Who said we're going to **that** civilization." Gwaine laughed and the talisman he had been wearing started to glow again and a portal opened up to a new world.

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It was a small seaside town filled with noise and various people. Though being small stopped no one from compressing into the town. Sitting at a table outside a restaurant sat two people. One was a red head whose eyes has not left the water in minutes as if it was telling her something. The other was a dark haired man who had the same thoughtful expression but was fixated at her.

"Anything interesting?" He inquired.

"Nothing yet, but there are suspicions." She answered finally turning away from the water and focusing on him.

"So where do you think they are?" They had gotten a message the other day that Gwaine had thought he had found Gene, and would come back with or without finding him to report in.

"Knowing Gwaine, probably stopped at a pub." They both laughed at this their laughter died down they heard someone having a loud conversation.

"It's always an adventure with me." A male voice stated.

"That's one way of putting it" Another male voice shot back.

"So now that you're out what is the first thing you're going to do?" The first voice questioned the second.

"Well a haircut sounds like an apt decision."

"Yeah well with that hair." The other voice joked before they came into view. There stood two familiar men and they were just the ones that they had been waiting for. They both stood up and waited for the others to notice.

"Took you long enough." The female told the familiar men.

"Sorry Ariel, I saw a pretty lady and just had to follow her. Merlin! You look exactly the same, I thought being tree would have changed a man-"

"Then I had to pull Gwaine away so we could meet you guys here." The second interrupted the first before he was wrapped in a tight hug from Ariel.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Gene." She told him as they disconnected from the hug.

"We best be getting out of here and out of plain sight. Good news while I was searching for Rapunzel here," Gwaine wrapped an arm around Gene's shoulders and squeezed, "I heard rumors of a bear who was once a woman in another realm." Gwaine though fun-loving had given them another clue on how to find one of the others.

"A bear?" Merlin questioned the group.

"Merida" was Gwaine's answer and they slowly walked out of town.


	4. The Return of Honor

This is the fourth chapter and I hope you enjoy. I don't own anything...I just play around with these characters for my own enjoyment. I also post these on my other sites.

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They ended up in yet another forest. This one though had a very different presence to it. One with a hidden magic that existed in a different way than theirs did. Looking around the forest seemed eerily quiet. No birds chirped and no animals seemed to be apparent in their sight lines.

"Gwaine?" Merlin leaves the question hanging on the air almost. Luckily Gwaine knew exactly what he wanted him to do.

"On it." Gwaine took his task seriously, immediately switching from fun loving mode and into knight mode. He looked around the area searching for any sign of wildlife, but found next to none. After some investigation, he finally found some faded animal tracks and decided a course following them. They followed the tracks in complete silence for a while until Gwaine could no longer track them. All the while, they were hoping for a sign of their lost friend.

It was then that Gwaine picked up on another trail and began following it further into the forest. Eventually, they were led to a cave but it looked empty.

A survey of the area showed that it had been deserted for at least a couple of days. If there was any animal or human there it has been some time since then.

"Anyone got any other ideas?" He turned and faced the rest of his compatriots.

"Wait… do you see that?" Merlin asked looking away from the cave and back into the forest. He looked almost hypnotized by what he saw.

"See what?" Gene questioned not quite sure what he was seeing.

"No, I see it too. Closer to the tree line to your left… it looks like glowing blue fire." Ariel affirmed stepping a little bit closer to the entrance of the cave.

"It looks like there is more than one. I feel like we should follow it" Merlin brought up before both he and Ariel began to follow the blue glow.

"Yes let's follow the mysterious blue fire into an unknown territory." Gene's sarcastic response was the only thing uttered into the silent forest.

They followed the blue further into the forest and they were getting further and further away from their starting point. The fire seemed to have no consistent direction, sometimes leading them in circles. But it was like it was playing with them and having a little fun at their expense. They ended up in a large clearing with unusual stone statues. They glanced curiously at the statues unsure of what would happen next until a loud growl sounded out.

From another section of forest came out a brown bear with fur tinted in an almost red color. The bear was not a huge bear, yet still quite deadly.

"Anyone know how to calm a bear?" Gwaine questioned his fellow compatriots. They all looked around at each other, but it was Merlin who decided to take responsibility. He walked in front of the bear and it backed away with a snarl. He continued to walk closer to the bear even as it acted threatened. His eyes turned a brilliant gold and the bear sat down in front of them.

"I'm not quite sure what we should do. My magic alone will not change her back because the curse on her does not work like that." Merlin turned his head to look at the rest hoping for an answer before returning his attention to the bear. "Merida?"

"Sure ask the bear" Gene's sarcastic response interrupted the predicament disgruntled about being in a forest after being trapped in a tower for so long.

"Maybe those other lights could tell us." Ariel pointed out the return of the blue fire. Merida moved her head in the semblance of a nod and began following the path. It seemed this was going to be a journey they had not prepared for, but they were determined to save a friend. It was almost dusk when they arrived at a castle that looked inhabited but at the same time deserted. The glow ended the moment that the castle came into sight.

"We better go in before something else decides to eat us." Gwaine stated before following the bear to the door. Said bear was pawing at the door, so they continued on through the castle until she led them to a tapestry. It was old and there was a tear right down the middle of it. Some might not understand the importance of this tapestry, but the magic surrounding it was obvious.

"It needs to be fixed but by hand." Another human-like nod was her answer. The search for a needle was tough, but after a while they found one dusty in the middle of the table. By candle light, Ariel began to sew the tapestry back together. Since there was a curse involved Merlin's magic helped fabricate it back together. It took them quite a while because it had to be absolutely perfect. By the time they were done, dawn was tinging the skyline.

They took a step back looking at their work before turning back to the bear. "If we fixed the tapestry than she should be back to human."

Gene walked over to the tapestry curiously studying it. "Maybe this will help." He took out a vial filled with what looked to be water. Pulling the stopper out he began to pour it over the patch and they watched mesmerized as the fabric began pulling together and became fully repaired.

"Thanks guys." Merida's voice came from behind them and turning around there stood a curly red haired woman. They all felt relief to finally see their friend again and being one step closer to all being reunited.

"I have something that I have to show you guys now that I am human." She led them further into the castle.

"This is a beautiful castle. It must have been a great place to grow up in." Ariel commented taking in the architecture and the family portraits.

"It was a wonderful place to grow up in. I was very close to my family and they taught me many life skills. I just wish I knew what happened to them?" Her sadness was evident as they walked along.

"Maybe we will find out on our journey." Merlin said in comfort and eventually their trek ended with them inside an armory.

"Is that?" They all held their breath as they notice the familiar armor, one that had been adorned by a person they all hold close to their hearts. It gleamed in the early morning sunlight like it had never been used. It had obviously been well kept by someone who treasured it greatly.

"His armor." Merlin chocked up just looking at it. It was one step closer to finding his most treasured person, his prat. They grabbed a hold of it and with a quick spell he was able to make it weightless and easy to carry. "I wonder how it ended up in a place like this." He questioned.

"We once asked that question about a certain mermaid." Said part-time mermaid blushed at the comment made by Gwaine.


	5. A Young Mermaid

This is the fifth in a growing verse. I hope you enjoy the story and the characters I have been enjoying writing about. I also post these on my other websites.

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"ARIEL!" Her father's voice echoed through the corridors of the castle, but she just giggled as she continued on her way. She ran into her room and began to mess around with objects as she waited. Finally her father entered the room looking every bit the part of an angry father. "Ariel" this time he was much softer about his approach.

"Yes daddy." She played up the sweet card as she often did when she did something wrong.

"Don't daddy me Ariel. What have I told you about going up to the surface world? It's dangerous, imagine what they would do to you if they found out about mermaids." His speech bored her, but she listened through.

"Daddy there are many magical creatures in this world and most of the surface world knows about mermaids."

"They do not know the difference between Sirens and mermaids. They could mistake you as one and hurt you. Nor do they know what we are capable of and vice versa." He was full of concern for his youngest daughter. She was the one who was most curious and adventurous. She could sing, defend herself, and much more because she was always getting into everything. Everything he ever built was to protect her and he needed it to stay that way.

"Promise me, you will not be going back to the surface." He looked at her and saw only the young girl she used to be.

He always asked way too much of her, but she would allow him to think he won, "Yes daddy, I promise." Was the only answer given to him before she turned away from him. He thought she was just pouting, but what she was in all actuality doing was plotting a way to sneak out. She wanted to see the humans, the ones without the ability to turn into mermaids. They were who she was most curious about and she wished there was someone to answer her questions.

That night it seemed to her father that she had finally given up all hope of her ridiculous dreams. The next morning saw her in the throne room with her father and her ability to convince him that she was going to be visiting her people with Sebastian.

"Promise me you will be careful." He talked to his daughter gently thinking about all the ways she could get hurt.

"Yes daddy, I will." What she wasn't telling him was that she was really going to sneak away to the surface world and maybe talk to her first real human. She took off towards one of the water exits and as she dove out the magic began. Her dress and legs turned into a luminescent green-blue tail and a purple shell lace-like bikini top. She began to swim towards the town knowing her father was watching and when she knew she was out of his sight, she began to swim up to the surface.

Breaking the surface so close to civilization was a new experience because it was something she had never dared to do. She always wanted to, but was too afraid. As a child, she had lost her mother to a ship accident and her father banned even getting close to the surface. After the accident, she was brought up with her father telling every terrible thing about the surface world. Yet she knew that the surface world had more to offer, or maybe that was just her curious side talking. She swam towards shore and hid behind a large rock when a loud noise erupted.

She heard laughter erupt from a male voice, "Come on Killian do not lag behind."

"Yes Brother, Your Royal Princeness." Came another male voice. They finally came into view and there were two boys who looked incredibly alike. She settled into watching them, her first real humans. They were playing some sort of game with a ball and a bark interrupted her thoughts.

"That must be a dog." She whispered to herself so excited that she was finally seeing the things she had only read about in books. Yet she wasn't quiet enough for the dog not to hear her and it came barreling towards the water.

"Max what is it boy?" The first boy curiously followed the boy while the second searched the area. "Killian do you see anything?"

"Nothing I ca—Eric did you see that?" She moved because the dog was getting closer and Killian must have gotten a glimpse of her hair. "You can come out you know, we won't hurt you." He spoke gently to whatever creature was lurking behind the rocks.

Her curiosity was burning a fire inside her and she peered around the edge of the rock slowly. The second boy, Killian smiled as he saw these sea blue eyes staring back at him. Her hair was a rich red.

"Hi, what's your name?" His brother, always the first to ask a question.

"I'm Ariel." The voice was soft, but so captivating. Eric turned and watched his brother's expression because it had never happened before. He looked completely blown away with just one look at this woman and the sound of her voice.

"I'm Eric and this is my Brother Killian. We're princes in this kingdom." He introduced themselves to this mysterious woman.

"Won't you come out of the water?" Killian was soft spoken and enchanted at this woman. She came more out into the open and lifted her luminescent tail for them to see. "You're a mermaid!" Both brothers were shocked at the realization, but not frightened. To both sides there was some sort of feeling of safety.

"You won't hurt me?" Her eyes were locked with Killian's as she swam closer to the shore. She willed her legs to appear and walked out towards the two men. When she had transformed she was back in her royal garb making obvious to them that she was a royal or at least a noble.

"Never." Eric nodded along to his brother's answer and watched as she walked on two legs over to meet them.

"You have legs." Eric's obvious statement earned a giggle from her.

"Common misconception about Mermaids, we are able to turn human at will." She stated now standing right in front of the two and giggling at Max's antics. She ran her fingers along his ears learning the soft texture of his fur.

"You're a princess?" Killian asked after getting over the shock of her standing in front of him looking every bit a princess.

"Yes" she was kind in the way she talked to him.

"Mermaids have princesses?"

"Yes." She knew he was just a bit awestruck at meeting a mermaid for the first time. The people of seaside kingdoms know they exist, but it is rare to meet one. The two brothers were very alike in their obvious questioning. She was very drawn to the younger one and she was not quite sure if she was okay with that. She had always been independent and her curiosity about the world above had led her here. Now she was living her dream and she was not sure what his role in it would be.

"I've never been out of the water before." She shyly admitted and the wonder on her face was very apparent. Killian just wanted to show her everything there was about the surface world. You could tell that she was a curious creature by the way she took all of the scenery in rapture.

"Would you like us to show you more?" Eric asked and the smile she gave both boys was blinding and just like that they were hooked. They walked with her into the village marketplace where there were many thingamabobs to touch and look at.

"Oh a dinglehopper!" She picked up a shiny lavish fork.

"That my dear mermaid is a fork." Killian said plucking it from her hands as his brother paid for the object.

"A fork? And this?" She pointed to a beautiful comb at the vendor next to them.

"This is a comb." He handed the comb to her and she touched it reverently. He paid the vendor the money for the comb before leading the way away from the shops. "Are you hungry?" She smelled the food and her stomach growled. She was a little nervous because she was not sure what she would like to eat. He led her to an eatery and she tried her first taste of surface world food. They spent the rest of her time on land teaching her about the places, objects, and whatever else she was interested in. This then became a daily occurrence.

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She had learned much about the land-dwellers in these past couple of months and the boys had even began to teach her how to fight. It was quite funny when she bested them in sword fighting. Her father had taught her from a very early age how to defend herself. At the moment she was stuck in Atlantica sitting in on a boring meeting because of her father. She would rather be with Killian…and Eric.

"Ariel!" Her father's voice brought her out of her stupor. She turned to look at him and shrank back a little at the look on his face. "What are you thinking about Ariel?"

"Nothing much daddy. I just was hoping for a swim today." She answered leaving off the part where she would swim to the surface.

"Well the meeting is over," she looked around now noticing that everyone is gone, "I will allow it. I am so glad you gave up those ridiculous dreams." He said walking away and giving her freedom. She was filled with fury as she swam to the surface and joined right in on the boys' battle. She bested them both before sitting down in the sand with much anger in her expression.

"Ariel are you okay?" Killian asked gently taking the spot next to her.

"No! Father is so glad I gave up my ridiculous dreams…my dreams ridiculous?" Her anger was boiling over so much so that the waves responded in anger. The waves were growing angry and the sky cloudy.

"Ariel!" Both boys shouted due to the winds picking up. She could not hear them and the storm approached angrily as she did. They could not get through to her, so Killian mustered up his courage and kissed her. The storm began to fade away with the kiss and when they broke away it was gone. She filled with this new feeling and she welcomed it as she smiled at him. They stared at each other in awe for some time.

"Not that this has not been a hundred years in the making, we are late to meet an important friend." Eric reminded them as they broke away from each other's eyes. The kiss was forgotten for a time. She looked at them inquisitively and Killian led her in the path following his brother. They came into town and into the first place that they had ever eaten in together.

At the only non-crowded table sat a man and according to the way that the boys reacted; this was the man they were looking for. He had black hair and intense blue eyes, but he smiled when they came into view.

"You must be the one I have been looking for." He stated when they approached the table. He was looking right at her, but she was unsure of what he meant. "That was an impressive storm you caused there. Ever have any burst like that?"

"All the time." Eric was the one who answered, who had long noticed his friends oddities. She was a mermaid, but at the same time she was much more than that. She just had not discovered it yet.

"Who are you?" She was curious on the easy feeling she got around him. A feeling of trust that would define their friendship for years to come.

"I'm Merlin."


	6. A Meeting of Brothers

It seemed every time he explored Storybrooke a new area. This time he had been wandering around the docks when he came across an open marketplace. It was filled with people milling around, some buying, and some trading. It was a wonderful site that reminded him much of his childhood. He was enjoying the sights and smells of home as he continued to walk through. Turning a corner brought another new area filled with shops and the like. There, off to the right, written in large bright lights was Tiana's place.

He was drawn into the place by the aromatic smells of fantastic food. But more than that, he had a feeling that it was here he would find some sort of treasure. He was always one to trust those senses; after all it did involve treasure. He entered the restaurant and was immediately hit with these warm feeling. The place itself had a homey atmosphere and a feeling that everyone was welcome, even him. He looked around the place, taking in his environment, and then his eyes were drawn to the bar. There at the bar was a very familiar looking man, especially in the familial sense.

He did a double take making sure the man was actually there. None of his features changed nor did the man disappear. He slowly walked towards the bar knowing that he could be reunited with family; one he has been without for so long. He came up behind the man and as if knowing someone was standing behind him he turned around. He could not believe his eyes when they set upon him.

"Eric?" his voice stuttered in disbelief. Something he just did not do, he was always confident.

"Killian!" His brother's voice reached out to him. He had not heard that voice in so long and he believed that it was one lost forever. He lost one brother and he surely thought he lost another.

"Let's take a seat brother." Eric led him to a table with a view out to the sea. A calming sight to the both of them. They spent many adventures in and near the water.

"You're alive?" He was still in a bit of shock. "How are you alive?"

"It's a long story Killian. Why don't we order some food?" His brother's exasperated tone and look of tiredness stopped him from any further comments.

"What is good here?"

"Everything that Tiana's makes is amazing." They eventually ordered food and in the meantime Eric began to tell the story of what happened to him. How he ended up in Storybrooke was another question and story all together.

"It was shortly before losing our kingdom when I was approached by a friend. He had asked me to become part of these knights to help protect the realms. I took him up on the offer and then our kingdom was gone shortly thereafter. I thought you were dead for the longest time."

"You thought I was dead. I spent such a long time searching for you." Killian spat out in restrained anger. He spent so much time alone and unsure if his family was alive. Even if he thought they were dead he still searched for any hint of someone out there.

"I did and I wish that I had heard that you were alive. I was transported into another realm and spent many years travelling through them with the group of friends I had made. We were recruited for many jobs in many different realms. I was on a mission at the time the curse hit and was not fast enough to get away. I was transported here and became a fisherman working on the docks. I've spent much of my Storybrooke life in this section, but I know I need to find my way back to my friends somehow." Eric told the story with complete silence coming from his brother. Killian himself was lost in his head and the meanings of his tales. He had been without his brother for so long and now he had no idea what to do.

"Next you're going to tell me that there are others alive that I thought were dead!" He was filled with much anger at just the thought that he had never knew.

"There might be. The realms are far enough apart, so there very well could be." Eric was trying to placate Killian. There was much he did not understand and others that he would overcome. Inside Killian's mind he hit a road block. He registered a flash of red, but nothing more. It caused his head to ache when he thought about it. It had never been like that before, he felt that this was a much more recent instance. That whoever or whatever his mind blocked had happened in the year back, but his entire being craved the knowledge.

Eric could tell his brother was having trouble remembering something, but he was able to tell exactly who it was. In the time spent back in the Enchanted Forest, he had met a certain mermaid again. He had been very angry to learn that she was still alive and he had not known. All he knew is that Ariel decided he was not ready to know about her again and caged all his memories of her. He hoped that she would undo them soon before it caused his brother even bigger problems.

"Come on, you can stay with me." Their food had finally arrived, so he had them box it up to take with them. He paid for their meals and led his brother away from the restaurant calling goodbye to Tiana on his way out. He brought them to a place not far from the restaurant, a little shop of trinkets where above it contained his apartment. It was in his spare room that his brother would stay. The view from every room was of the ocean. In that view, Eric spotted something shining and coming towards his dock. A message in a bottle seemed to be his conclusion.


End file.
